Button-setting machine.



E. F. STENMAN.

BUTTON SETTING MACHINE.

APPLIQATION FILED JUNE 1o, 1912.

1,092,604. Patented Apr.7,1914.

s`l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ L STATES FATE ELvIS F. STENMAN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, To INDEPENDENT BUTTON A A FASTENEBMAOHINE COMPANY, (ING), OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or MASSACHUSETTS.

BUTTON-SETTING MACHINE.

Loeaeoa.

Patented Apr. 7, 1914. Serial No. 702,693.

T 0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ELIs F. STENMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVoicester, county of ldorcester, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Button-Setting Machines, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to button fastening machines, being in the nature of an improvement upon my application serially numbered 679,361, filed February 23, 1912.

The object of this invention is to provide dies of such conformation as will accomplish certain desired results in the butto-n setting operation.

In the dies shown in the above mentioned application and indeed in all dies for this purpose which are known tol me, there 1s no provision made for smoothing or roundy ing off the edges of the wire that clampsl the button to the material. In this invention, I

have sought to produce dies which will set the button securely and yet leave no exposed g edges or corners on the Wire. Various other features are also included in my invention, all of which tend to produce the desired neatness and finish, and the smoothness of operation of the machine. All of these fea- 1 tures will be. more fully set forth in connection with the construction and operation of a device embodying my invention, and will be described in the specification which follows and which is shown as an illustrative embodiment in the accompanying draw- 1n s.

In these drawings which accompany and form a part of the speciication,-Figure l is a fragmentary plan view, similar to Fig. 1 of the above mentioned application, showing my preferred construction; Fig. 2 1s a vertical Section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partial plan section on the line 3-3 of Fig. -2. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. l. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged views showing the action of my improved dies.

The forming die-s which shape the staple by any suitable mechanism, as for eXample that illustrated in my former application. The wire 6 is fed through the block l1 and across the face of the dies 62, 63 and 64. The grooves 1, y, in the dies 62 and 64 are of suflicient depth to completely house the wires 6, and are chamfered on their near ends to facilitate the forward movement of the wire. In front of the wire 6 is the forming block 77 and setting block 120, the latter being made adjustable, as will be later explained. The dies 62 and 64, in addition to the grooves y, are also provided with longitudinal grooves fr, as in my previous application, but with the difference that these grooves are somewhat farther extended along the inner face of the dies 62 and 64 and are adapted to receive the tongues m1 which are formed along each side of the central die 63. This tongue and'groove arrangement s twofold. It forms a lock for the three dies, preventing any vertical disarrangement, and furthermore the tongues m1 serve as valuable adjuncts in the special operation of the die 63.

It will be noticed that the central die 63 instead of having a square nose as before is slightly beveled rearwardly toward the center, as at 631, and is further grooved hori- Zontally at m2 to compel the wire 6 to assume the form shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The central groove ma is the same as previously shown and is provided to receive the shank S of the button B, the latter beingfed in any suitable manner into stapling position with the wire 6. Whenthe button B is in position to receive the wire, it will be noticed that the shank Sis not entirely` protected by the groove m3. As a consequence,

`there isa possibility of the wire 6 when it is advanced through the loop of the shank S causing a slight dislodgment of the button. This would interfere with or entirely prevent the proper placing of the wire within said shank. To obviate these difliculties, I provide a covering plate 10 which is extended so that its forward edge slightly overreaches the face of the dies 62, 63 and 64 in their retracted position. A central groove 101 which registers with the groove w3, serves not only to gui-de the shank S as it approaches the position shown, but to maintain it in desired relation to the wire 6 after it has reached this position. After the wire has been fed through the shank of the button the initial movement of the forward part of the die severs the section of wire which has entered the groove y. By making this groove y deeper than before, I insure a certain maintenance of the wire 6 in its proper relation to the dies and to the forming 'block 77 which is then to rise to operative position as in my previous application. When the dies have suiiciently advanced to imprison the shank S between thc rib of the forming die 7 7 and the wire 6,V the further movement of the dies causes a gradual bending and turning of the severed wire 6 until it assumes the conformation illustrated in Fig. 6. It will be noticed in this figure that the dies 62 and 64 have made an independent advance, while the die 63 has remained temporarily stationary. The forming block 7 7 is now retracted from the path of the dies which will then beadvanced against the setting block. In mak-y ing this advance the turned ends 61 are securely held within the grooves m, a, and against the ends of the tongue m1. The loop 62 which surrounds the shank S is seated within the recesses x2 of the die 63. In this way, I effectually guard aga-inst a displacement of the bent wire during its advance upon and penetration through the material U, which is to be operated upon. In clenching operationit will be noticed that the outer corners of the die 63 and the forward ends of the tongues :v1 serve to clench the 'turns of the wire closely and firmly upon the material U, thus tending to present a. smoother and neater exterior than would be the case if this wire were simply folded upon the outside of the material as shown in my previous application. It will thus be seen-that my improved machine not only guarantees accuracy of movement, but superior, finish in the work.

In the dra-wings, I have illustrated the clenching wireY 6 as a round conformation. It is quite apparent that dies similar in shape to those here set forth could be employed to manipulate fiat or oval, or indeed,

any suitably shaped wire, more easily than the ordinary dies now in use. Furthermore', with these improved dies and protecting plate l0, it is possible for me to employ my machine for the use Vof buttons which have the l their Shanks swivel-mounted, such as certain-forms of `pea-rl headed buttons now in use in the trade.

To further insure theV proper finish and accuracy of the completed work, I prefer to mount the setting block 120 in sliding ways upon a bracket 12 secured to t-he frame ofV my machine. A threaded thumb screw 13 rotatably mounted in the block 12 and held in position by a collar 14 affords a delicate adjustment of the setting block 120. With these adjustments, it is possible to vary theV clenching eifect of my new die 63 without in any way changing the position or operating meansof the die. Y

Various modifications in the construction and operation of my machine as herein set forth, may obviously be made, all without departing from the spirit of my invention if within the limits of the appended claims. Y

What I therefore claim'and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for the setting of buttons and the like, a series of forming dies, one of said dies having a longitudinal groove therein to receive the shank of-a button, and a covering plate having a .groove registering with said grooveto guide and maintain theV button in proper position..

2. Ina button settingmachine ofthe wire feedrtype, a series of forming dies, the intermediate die-of' said series having lateral tongues formed thereon and having a nose beveled rearwardly and a recess extending transversely thereof, theV lateral dies eachk atv in its advance to the wire and t'ohold said Y shank rmly against the wire.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses. i

4 ELIS F. lSTFJNMAN. Witnesses: .Y

VICTORIA LowDEN, RYB. ELLMs.

. Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, VI). Cif 

